Electric counting and integrating system



Sept. 16, 1952 E. H. KRAUSE ELECTRIC OUNTING AND INTEGRATING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1945 77773 5 T Z IT wmmnh zomz q HHM ERNST H. KRAUSE Sept. 16, 1952 E. H. KRAUSE 2,610,793

ELECTRIC COUNTING AND INTEGRATING SYSTEM Filed March 15, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 T315 35 ll l l ERNST H. KRAUSE P 5, 1952 E. H. KRAUSE 2,610,793

ELECTRIC COUNTING AND INTEGRATING SYSTEM Filed March 15, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Se t. 16, 1952 E. H. KRAUSE 2,610,793

ELECTRIC COUNTING AND INTEGRATING SYSTEM Filed March 15, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jwucm/tm ERNST H. KRAUSE WQMLW P 1952 E. H. KRAUSE 2,610,793

ELECTRIC COUNTING AND INTEGRATING SYSTEM Filed March 15, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 III; 7

TO COUNTER menu-ref Elm unwed ERNST H. KRAUSE .MWLWW Patented Sept. 16, 1952 "anaended' 'Api-il so, 1928;; swo oporqs 'l) This invention'relate's ingei'leral to "an elec troni'c indicator and in particularjtoan electronic means for'performing integrationvf In electronicv counting circuitathe application of an electrical irnr'aulse to theTjcircuit' input causes a change in .the electricalfs'tatewhich exists Within the circuit. If asu'cces's'ion of such electrical impulses are applied to the input, eacl'ione causes a change'in the electrical state within the circuit, so that determinationfand,interpretation of the finallelectrical' state existingiwithih the circuit will provide an integration of the impulses applied ;to "the circuit input. Therefore in performing integration withithe aid of aQn'el'ectronic counting" circuit, a means for. indicating the several electrical states which" may i exist within the circuit becomesaprimaryccnsid'era-,

tion. .1 It is an objectcf thisinventiontof provide a'n electronic circuit which performs absolute"and direct integration of a succession of electrical impulses. applied thereto. j 7

Another object of this invention-is to provide a means for indicating" directly the/electrical state which exists. Within 'anj electronic"counting circuit.

'tion of the embodiments'oi this invention shown 'in Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a"varia Reference'is now had inparticular'to' 1, wherein there" is shown one'form' of an electronic integrating circuit'constructed according to the teachings of this invention. .This circuit come "prises a .plurality of gas type indicator tubes 68, GI, 62 and 63, shown in general 'inthe upper portion of the drawing, and a 'scale-of-four type of counter'circuit shown'in the lower portion of the drawing. Theflatter "comprises a' pair, of

conventional'type'of 'scale-of-two counter stages,

l6 and l1, connectedin cascade. The. first ,stage ,IB consists of a pair of multig rid tubes'46 and 48, connected so that the output from tube it is'coupled'through resistance" shunted by capacitor 'to the second grid 28 of tube 48, while Another object oithis invention tofprovide a means which automatically integrates the ,r'esuits obtained by impressing an electrical impulse or plurality of such electrical impulses onan electronic counting circuit. 1

Another objector this invention is tolprovide a means for indicating when certain of several preselected points within an electrical circuit, which are. a'lternating' between 'two distinct voltage levelsjin a predetermined relationship, are at the same potential. I

Other objects and features of this invention Will become apparent upona careful consideration of the following detailed description, when taken together with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a circuit diagranrillustrating one embodiment of this invention. Fig. 1a is a diagram illustrating'a variation in the method of making certain of the 'connections showninFig. 1. i

Fig. 2 is a series of Waveforms referred to in explaining the operation of the circuits shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the output of tube 48 is coupled through "resistance l6 shunted by capacitor 11 to'thesec- 0nd control grid 26 of tube 46. In the second counter stage H, which consists of tubes 47 and t9, the corresponding tube elements are conj' nectedlnthe samemanner asjin the first stage fl 5.],In"thiswayfeaehstage is directly connected 'ina regenerative'fmannerso that one tube in each stage wil1.' ,1. 'e. conducting and the'other tube non-conducting. andin which condition the stage will remain until it receives some small electrical disturbance. 'Whereupon, this disturbance will be vregeneratively amplified until th'econditions of the 'stages are reversed. 'T I he plate of each tube in the circuit is connected through a respective resistance 19, 2D, 21 and 22 to a, positive point, designated as a, on, the

s ly battery 59, whileithe second control grids of thetubes' are connected throughrespectiye resistances, 41f and 43 to a negativepoint d on the'same battery. The input to the first stage I5. may be obtained from any convenient external "source, not shown, but connected 'to poi t so an applied in parallel to the first eon l ridsSO and 32,,whilethe input to the second stage I"! is'obtained Irom the plate of tube tfland applied "in parallel to the first control grids 3| "and 33 of tubes 41 'andyqe through -a jlow'i.,time

constant coupling. circuit consisting of condenser I8 I and resistance 18. ,The function of 1. this coupling circuitjis to apply to the first control this invention similar to that shown in "Fig, l,

except that the application we four stage rather than a two stage electronic counter is illustrated. Fig. 4 is a series of waveforms 'referredjto in explaining the operation of the circuit shown grids 3| and 33 ofthe second stagefl a negative ,pu lse each time, w en pa ses n no'nco'nductio'n to conduction and' a positive pulseeach time it passes from'condu'ction to, non-conduction.

3 constructing counter c rcu t with multigrid tubes arranged as shown, "each stage is made to respond only when a negative impulse is applied to its first control grids, so a total of four negative impulses are required at input 50 to cause the circuit to pass through a complete cycle of operation. In tracing a cycle of operation, the originalor-zero'state of the circuit may be set by opening the cathode 'switches 23 and 24 which render tubes 46 and 41 non-conducting and consequently tubes 48 and 49 conducting. The switches 23 and 24 are their-closed. Then inresponse to the first negative input pulse applied to point 50, tubes 41 and 48 are made nonconducting and tubes 46 and 49 are-made conducting. In response to the .secondnegativeinput pulse tubes 46 and 49 are made nonconducting and tubes 41 and 48 are made conducting. In response to the 'third negative input pulse tubes 48 and 49 areimadeinon-conducting and 46 and 41 are made conducting. Finally in response to the fourth negative input ,pulse .tubes .46 and A1 arejma'de non-conducting and tubes 49 and 49 are made 'conducting'thereby .completingthe cycle of operationzfor the :circuit.

.Thus it is seen that a counterofthis type consisting of two stages has four stable states in .which it may .exist. .Similarly a "scale-o'f-two type of counter chain consisting of three stages would have 8 states, a counter .of four stages would have 16 stable states and .in general a counter of n stages wouldhave2n stable states.

In each of these states'half of the tubes in the circuit willbe conducting and half willibe non- .conducting. The plate potential of .thenon-conducting tubes will'be at somevoltagesubstan- .tiallyequal tothepotential 'at tap "a on .the supply battery 59 while. the plate ,potential .of the.conductingtubes willbe atsomevoltage substantiallyequal to, ground. "Thus as a tubepasses .from conduction to non-conduction tits plate voltage will varylfrom ground to "a."

"In Fig. 2 several waveforms are .plotted in such a maner that the voltage is represented along the vertical coordinate and time alongthe horizontal =coordinate. Hereiri wave form 35 is representative of a series of negative input pulses applied to the input '50. Waveforms'36 and 31 represent respectively .the change ,in plate volt- .tage for tubes-"46 and 481in responseto thein- ,put waveform 35. Waveform '40 represents the .input to tubes and 49 .and waveforms .and 39.represent respectively the. change inplate voltage for tubes 41 and '49 inlresponsetothe wave- .form 40.

.For purposes of indicating the state 'of the .counter circuit and therefore .to provide an integration of the. input, pulses, there is .provided. as indicated in the upperportion ofJFig. 1, aplu- .ralityof neon tubes .60, 6|,.62 and 63. "The number of neon'tubes neededto perform acornplete integration of the results, corresponds to the number ofstates which mayexist in the electronic counter. "Inthe present; illustration ifour neon tubes are .required since .a .scale-of-four counter is shown. .Oneelectro'de of each o'fithe neon tubes .is commonlyjoined to a point of positive potential, designated as .tap .on the supply battery .59. .The' .position IOT this tap .is

.such'that it requires'the full difference in voltage between taps "a and "c" to .causetheneon tubes to glow. Any lesser voltage difference such as that which exists bewveentap .c".,andground vor 'a/Z" andc as hereinafter described will .not

be 'sufilcient to break the'tubes down.

The other electrode of each neon .tube-is.connected through a separate current limiting re- Cir sistance to a predetermined point in each counter stage. As here shown, neon tube is connected to the plates of tubes 46 and 41 through the respective current limiting resistances 5| and 55. Neon tube 6| is connected to the plates of tubes -'4|- arrrl through the respective current limiting resistances 56 and 53. Neontube 62 is connected to the plates of tubes 46 and 49 through the respective current limiting resistances 52 and 51. -Neon .tube63aisxconnected to the plates of tubes -48 and 49 through the respective current limiting resistances 54 and 59. In this arrangement 'it'should-be pointed out that all of the current limiting resistances 5| through 58 are equal in size and the points in the respective counter stages to which they are connected vary in potential.with:.the.operation of the counter in such to. manner-that only during one state in the cycle of counter operation will the voltage at the upper ,juncture point 60a, 6| a, 62a and 63a of any pair of resistances-attain .a high enough potential .to cause the neon tube to which it is connected to .glow.

Withzero'state existing, the plate potentials of tubes46 and 41'areat aand the plate potentials of tubes 48 and '49 .are at b. By symmetry, the ,potential-at.thejjuncture 63a of resistors 54 and 58iisb. The potential'a'cross neon'tube 63 there- Ior,jis the differencebetween potentials b and c whichis incapable of supporting glow discharge and .neon tube 63 remains darkened. Also by symmetry, .the potential existing at the junctureBZa of resistors'52 and 61 and at the junc- -tureiilaof 53 and 56 is the average of potentials mandb. The (inference between'this average and potential '0 fisinsuflicient to .support glow discharge and neon'tubes 6| and 62 remain darkened. Also by symmetry. the potential at the \juncture'BOa of resistors SI and 55 can go as high as potential a with the result that only neontube 69 glows when the counter circuit is in the zero state. This signifies directly to the observer, without need of .interpretation. that zero pulses have been applied to input 50 of Fig.

- 1. Upon the arrival of the first pulse, the first state is initiated and tubes 46 and 49 conduct while tubes 41 and 4.8 become non-conducting. During thisstateytherefore, only neon tube 6| can glow. This signifies directly to the observer, without need of interpretation, that onepulse has been applied to input 50 of Fig. ,1. Similarly, tubes and 49 are non-conducting during the .second-state which is initiated by the arrival .ofithe secondpulse. .Thismeans that only neon tube'62 glows. Thesequenceof operations thereby established carries on through subsequent ,pulsesin such a fashion that .only .one neon tube glowsduringagivenstate .and a different neon .tube glows for each :state. The count of pulses isLtherefore directreading and theindicator sys- .tem completely integrates the counter results.

In Fig. 1a there-iszshown analternate method -of..establishing potential c to which the common .lectrodesof-the neon tubes are connected. In this case, potential 0 is almost equal to potential .11 .so that .neon -.tubes willflre only when con- ..nected to.plate;.potentials .all of which are at ground potential which corresponds to the conducting tube condition.

' In..Fig. 3, the.invention.is shown as applied to :anelectronic.eounter.of.four.stages 100, 200, 400 .andBOO.

The .sequenceofoperations.in this circuit may .be tracedby reference to the waveforms shown in Fig. 4. Waveform is representative of a series of pulses, applied to the input 54 of the counter circuit. Waveforms 66 through I3 represent the plate potentials at junctions IOI, I02, EM, 202, MI, 402, 80I and 802 respectively in response to the input waveform 65. It will be seen that the potential across the neon tube I will be a maximum after th arrival of the first pulse, that the potential across neon tube 2 will be a maximum after the arrival of the second pulse, and that the potential across neon tube II will be a maximum after the arrival of the eleventh pulse. Likewise, the potential across any of the neon tubes in the arrangement will be a maximum after'the arrival of the pulse corresponding to its number. Thus each neon tube glows in its proper turn giving a direct reading ofthe pulse count and eliminating the interpretation required by conventional indicators. It will readily be seen that th limit of the number of stages to which this exact form of the invention may be applied is fixed bythe diiference between thepotential at which available neon tubes breakdown or fire and the lowest potential at which glow discharge can be maintained. For example, in Fig. 3, in the zero state of the counter which may be set by opening cathodes switches 80, BI, and 82- and 83 together, the junctions IOI, 20I, 40! and MI are all at potential a since the vacuum tubes to which they are connected are non-conducting. Neon tube therefore glows signifying that the counter is in the zero state. When the first pulse is applied to the input, the vacuum tube to which IIlI is connected starts to conduct while the vacuum tubes to which 20L MI and 80I are connected remain non-conducting. This means that the potential applied to neon tube 0 has dropped only A; rather than the difference in voltage between points a and b oi the supply source as in the two stage case. This is because only one quarter of the junctions, namely junction I0l, drops to ground potential out of the four junctions IOI, 20I, WI and 80! whereas in the two stage case one half of the two junctions drop to ground potential. This reduced change in potential across neon tube 0 must be great enough to cause it to extinguish. Otherwise, both neon tubes 0 and l will glow and the system will no longer be direct reading. Th extension o-f this invention beyond this particular limit set by available neon tubes-is, however, a simple matter by means which are already known, such as booster'tubes to increase potential differences, the use of othertypes of indicating tubes or meters more sensitive than neon tubes, and similar voltage responsive devices any of which will be known by persons versedinthe art.

Typical of such an extension and illustrative of the use of such voltage responsive devices is the circuit shown in Fig. 5. In this circuit vacuum tube I05 and current meter I00 together represent a voltage responsive device which gives a visual indication'of current flow. If grid I01 of tube I05 be held at a potential below that of cathode I08 such that tube I05 is non-conducting, there will be no current flow through meter I06 and hence no indication; Tube I05 can be chosen so as to have sharp cut-off characteristics and so that onlya small-positive change in the potential at gridilfll spells the (life ference between no flow .of current and a relatively high flow of currentthrough meter I06. Grid IN is shown as being connected'to current limiting resistors I09 through II6,. These current limiting resistors are those which would be connected to the plates of eight tubes comprising one hall the tube complement of an eight stage, scale or 256 counter not shown. Each of said tubes would, of course, be in a different stage of the counter and it can be assumed that when all of the tubes to which resistors I09 through II6 are connected are in a non-conducting condition, as they will be only once during the entire 256 counter states, zero state exists and a potential corresponding to act battery II'I exists at grid I01 of tube I05. This, of course, represents the highest potential to which grid I01 can rise and corresponds, therefore, to the minimum biascondition during the operation of the counter. The potential 6 at cathode I08 is so adjusted that, when grid I0] is at a potential, tube I05 conducts strongly from plate to cathode but no grid current flows. This plate current flow through meter I06 causes the needle to deflect to a point marked 0 on the dial and the observer is thereby apprised of the fact that zero state exists. On the first step in the counter cycle one of the tubes to which grid I0! is connected becomes conducting and its plate falls to potential I) while the platepotentials of the other seven connected tubes remain at a. This results in a reduction in potential at grid I01 by since only one of the eight tubes sup-plying the grid dropped in potential, and represents the least difference which can occur between zero state bias and the bias existing during any of the other 255 states of the counter. While this reduction may be only of the order of a few volts, it nevertheless is suflicient to place grid I01 far enough below cathode I08 in potential to stop the flow of plate current through tube I05. Hence, meter I05 no longer indicates that zero state exists since no current flows to cause needle deflection. For each of the 256 states of the counter, a voltage responsive device such as that shown in Fig. 5 is employed so as to provide complete integration of the eight stage counter circult cycle. Except for special purposes, com plete integration of such a large number of states would not be employed. In its stead, partial integration can be employed to advantage. The cascading of decade counters, with each integrated by means herein disclosed and the integrated result of each counter employed to indicate units, tens, hundreds, etc., on suitable means such as meters or the individual drums of a mechanical counter isan example of such partial integration. The particular type of electronic counter employed is not a limiting feature of this invention inasmuch as the integration depends only upon the existence of several points within the counter circuit which alternate between two distinct voltage levels in a pre-determined manner.

It goes without saying that the conditions being integrated by this invention may be secured from any point within the various stages which have two stable states. For example, the second grids of the various vacuum tubes are stable either at zero potential or below cut-off potential.

. No attempt has been made to show a fullexploitation of this device. Obviously, the integrated results obtained may be used not only for counting as such, but for such purposes asinterval timing and auxiliary circuit triggering.

The arbitrary notation used herein of the various equilibrium states of a counter has a number of variations according to the users particular needs and any of these may be selected without altering the application of the invention. In this connection it will be noted that push button switches 80 through 83 have been shown in the cathode connections of all left. hand tubes of the counter circuit illustrated in Fig. 3. When these switches are opened momentarily, the left hand tubes become non-conducting and the counter is placed in zero state for the beginning of a new count. This is merely a convenient resetting means and has many possible variations both mechanical and electronic.

Since certain further changes may be made in the foregoing constructions and diil'erent embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings orset forth in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electronic integrating circuit, comprising a plurality of the scale-of-two type counter stages connected to form a counter circuit in which a definite number of electrical states may exist, a plurality of voltage responsive devices, a plurality of impedance means separately connecting selected points in all of said counter stages to each of said voltage responsive devices, whereby each of said devices will respond'to a different electrical state existing within said counter circuit.

2. An electronic integrating circuit, comprising a plurality of the scale-of-two counter stages con-- nected to form a counter circuit in which a definite number of electrical states may exist, a plurality of gas type indicator tubes each having at least two electrodes, a plurality of impedance means separately connecting one of the-electrodes 01 each of said indicator tubes to selected points in all of said counter stages, and means commonly connecting the other electrodes of all Of said indicator tubes to a point of fixed potential so that only one of said indicator tubes will glow in response to any one particular electrical state existing within the counter circuit and each will glow in response to a different electrical state.

3. An electronic integrating circuit, comprising a plurality of the scale-of-two counter stages connected to form a counter circuit in which a definite number of electrical stages may exist, a plurality of gas type indicator tubes each having at least two electrodes, a plurality of resistance means separately connecting one of the electrodes of each of said indicator tubes to selected points in all of said counter stages, a source of fixed potential, and means commonly connecting the other electrode of all of said indicator tubes to a predetermined point on said fixed potential so that only one of said indicator tubes will glow in response to any one particular electrical state existing within the counter circuit and each will glow in response to a different electrical state.

4. An electronic integrating. circuit, comprising a plurality of the scale-of-two type of counter stages connected to form a. counter circuit in which a definite number 01' electrical states may exist, each of said counter. stages comprising a pair of vacuum tubes having at least anode, cathode, and control grid electrodes, a plurality 8 of gas type indicator tubes each having at least two electrodes, a plurality of resistance means separately connecting one of the electrodes of each of said indicator tubes to selected anodes in all of said counter stages, a source of fixed potential, and means commonly connecting the other electrode of all of said indicator tubes to a predetermined point on said fixed potential so that only one of said indicator tubes will glow in response to any one particular electrical state existing within the counter circuit and each will glow in response to a different electrical state.

5. In an electrical circuit having several voltage points which are alternating between two distinct voltage levels in a predetermined manner, a means for indicating when all of said points are at the same potential, comprising a. voltage responsive device, separate impedance means connecting all of said points to said voltage responsive device, and means biasing said device so that it will respond only when the potentials at all of said points are equal to each other and to a predetermined one of said two distinct voltage levels.

6. In an electrical circuit having several voltage points which are alternating between 'two distinct voltage levels in a predetermined manher, a means for indicating when all of said points are at the same potential, comprising a gas type indicator tube having at least two electrodes, separate resistance means connecting all of said points to one of the electrodes of said tube, a source of fixed potential, and means for returning the other electrode 01' said tube to a point on said fixed potential such that said tube will glow when the potentials at all of said points are equal to each other and to a predetermined one of said two distinct voltage levels.

7'. An electronic integrating circuit, comprising a plurality of the scaleof-two type counter stages connected to form a counter circuit in which a definite number of electrical states may exist, a plurality of voltage responsive devices, a plurality of resistance means separately connecting each of said voltage responsive devices to selected points in all of said counter stages and means biasing said voltage responsive devices so that each may respond when the said selected points to which it is connected. are at the same preselected potential.

8. An electronic integrating circuit, comprising a plurality of the scale-of-two type counter stages connected to form a counter circuit in which a definite number of electrical states may exist, a plurality of vacuum tube components, a plurality of resistance means separately connecting each of said vacuum tube components to selected points in all of said counter stages, and means biasing said vacuum tube components so that each may respond when the said selected p ints to which it is connected are at the same predetermined potential.

9. In an electrical circuit having several voltage points which are alternating between two distinct voltage levels in a predetermined mana e ns for indicating when 11, 1 said points are at the same potential, comprisin' g a vacuum tube component having a control grid therefor, separate means connecting all of said points to the control grid of said vacuum tube component and means so biasing said vacuum tube component that it will respond only when the potentials at all of said points are equal to each other and 9 to a predetermined one of said two distinct voltage levels.

ERNST H. KRAUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,158,285 Koch May 16, 1939 2,310,105 Michel Feb. 2, 1943 2,348,016 Michel May 2, 1944 2,381,920 Miller Aug. 14, 1945 2,407,320 Miller Sept. 20, 1946 2,436,963 Grosdoff Mar. 2, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society"; E; C. Lewis, volume 33, 1937; pages- Review of Scientific Instruments; Stevenson,

- vol. 8, November 1937; pages 414-416.

pages 110- 

